


Flour and Yeast

by Indig0



Series: Fresh From The Oven [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Aro/Ace Daniel, Bakery AU, Brothers, Coworkers to lovers, Gen, Human AU, M/M, Mutual Pining, Past Abuse, Slow Burn, past trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-01-23 09:20:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18546877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indig0/pseuds/Indig0
Summary: Simon and Daniel are barely making ends meet, running Jericho Bakery, but they need some extra help.  Simon finds himself drawn more and more towards the newest hire as business picks up and luck starts to come their way.Flour provides the base of a good bread, and yeast will make it rise.ForRyoko/Gus, for the DBH 2019 Easter Exchange!  Enjoy!





	1. Mixing

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written Simon/Markus before, but I'm happy with the way this turned out!

The oven had beeped almost ten minutes ago, but Simon just now had a chance to run and take the cake out. Burnt, of course. That was just the way this day was going.

It would’ve been okay if Simon hadn’t been alone. Josh used to work the same shift, but he’d saved up enough money to go back to school, and had left with Simon’s encouragement. Good for him, following his dream. They’d tried to find a replacement, and North had offered to work part-time, but she also told Simon all the time where his asshole customers could stick their idiotic demands. Probably not ideal.

So Simon kept things up during the day, and Daniel came in at night to clean up and start the next day’s baking. They saw each other for a few minutes every morning and night in addition to texts, and that was just fine. 

After being suddenly kicked out on their eighteenth birthday, the twins had had very different reactions. Simon just wanted to get on with his life as best he could, since there was nothing he could do about it. But Daniel was _hurt,_ and wanted to fight it, fight the family who had loved them _(had they?)_ for eighteen years. It wasn’t worth it. Simon was too tired to get into arguments. He had a job and a place to sleep, and some friends. Sure he missed the rest of his family. But he and Daniel were getting by.

There had been a new guy a few weeks ago, Ralph, but he just wasn’t comfortable interacting with customers. One side of his face was heavily scarred: Something had happened to him, and he was absolutely terrified of people. That he’d even come to the interview was a bit of a miracle, seeing how he acted whenever someone came in, or when Simon asked him to do something. So after a couple weeks Simon had gently asked if Ralph might like to try working nights instead, when it was just Daniel and no customers. He looked so relieved, and almost cried as he thanked Simon profusely for not firing him.

Daniel hadn’t been happy at first, but he’d given Ralph a chance. And when Simon woke up the next morning, his phone was full of snide texts about how he made a joke and Ralph acted like he’d been kicked, or how Ralph had dropped a whole sack of flour and it got everywhere. But when Simon asked if he was going to need to let Ralph go a few days later, Daniel said no, he was twitchy and weird but he could follow directions and was okay when he wasn’t overthinking things. That was a huge load off Simon’s shoulders. …Emotionally, not physically. It still didn’t help him during the day.

A few more people applied, but no one really caught his eye until April, when a young man around his age walked into the bakery, a bit overdressed for the setting. His face softened as he inhaled, and a smile flitted across his serious face. He walked up to the counter.

“Hi, I’m Markus. I have an interview at twelve?”

His eyes were gorgeous. One green, one blue. Simon couldn’t stop looking at them through the whole interview. Definitely worth skipping lunch. His face was expressive too, and he spoke like he was used to giving speeches or negotiating deals.

“Why… do you want to work here?” Simon asked, genuinely curious. This guy could probably talk his way into a lawyer position.

Markus’s shoulders slumped. “I… Can I be honest? I finished school, and I’m just… not excited about it. I majored in Political Science, and I was pretty good, but the thought of being in politics really sounds awful. I want to help people, but the more I learned, the more I saw that the people who have that power… don’t. And if I did get in the position where I could, I’m kind of afraid it would warp me. I didn’t want to risk that.”

“I – I doubt that,” Simon said with a chuckle.

“No, I’m serious. I don’t want to turn cynical and power-hungry. I just – I don’t know what I want to do.” Markus looked down. “The worst question you can ask is where I see myself in five or ten years. I don’t even know where I see myself next month.”

It was so tempting to reach out and take his hand. “I understand that. I don’t think you have to know, though. For the record, I always hated that question, too. We’re just trying to survive, right? I… do have to ask that you would… let me know as soon as possible if you decide this isn’t what you want to do. Or if something better comes up.”

“Of course – I’ll be professional,” Markus assured him quickly, straightening up a bit in his chair.

“Good.” Simon smiled thinly. “Ah – I’ll check your references, but… unless you’re a serial killer, it’s looking promising. Um. If you do have a criminal record, of course, I’d still be willing to give you a chance depending on the charges…”

“No! No, no criminal record, just a speeding ticket a few years ago. I – thank you for… taking me seriously. Everywhere else I’ve applied wasn’t interested, said I was ridiculously overqualified.”

“Well… you are. But if you want this, and you’re willing to do the job, that’s… honestly all I need from you.” He smiled and got up, bringing back a little packet of cookies to hand to Markus. “Here. …They’re a couple days old already, so eat them today. If you care about that kind of thing. One of the job perks is taking home anything that’s too old to sell. Get ready for a lot of carbs.”

Markus laughed, taking the cookies, then clasped Simon’s hand warmly. “Thank you! That’s – I’m… looking forward to it. The job, and the carbs. All of it. Thanks.”

His hand was strong, warm, and more calloused than Simon had expected. He smiled back, a little dazed. “I’ll be in touch in the next few days!”

 

 

All Markus’s references checked out, and Simon called him on Friday. He started training Monday morning. He picked up on the cash register easily, and his sincere nature had just enough humor to make him appealing to customers.

Well, not just to customers.

On Saturday morning, Simon woke up to a text from his brother.

_Daniel: So is your new guy working out?_

_Daniel: I don’t think I can take another of your rejects on night shift_

_Simon: No he’s amazing._

_Simon: I mean yes he’s working out._

_Simon: I take it Ralph’s still doing okay?_

_Daniel: He’s a complete disaster._

_Daniel: I’ll punch your teeth out if you even think about getting rid of him._

_Simon: I wouldn’t dream of it. It’s your decision._

_Daniel: Damn right_

_Daniel: So is your guy good enough that we could ramp up production? You could get back to decorating again, making fancy stuff?_

_Simon: I don’t know yet. I think so, once he’s more used to it. Any more name ideas?_

_Daniel: No rhymes and no puns_

_Simon: That limits things a lot. Alliteration?_

_Daniel: You’re on thin fucking ice_

_Daniel: Don’t stay late today_

_Simon: I won’t. Sleep well._

Saturdays and Sundays were half days, and usually the busiest days. Simon usually flopped down and fell asleep soon after he got out both days. He couldn’t wait until Markus was trained up to help with that. Maybe some day they could earn enough to pay more people, but right now they were barely breaking even with four people, with Simon and Daniel only taking out enough for the building’s monthly lease and a little supplemental food. But if they could get to a point where they weren’t sinking, maybe things could look up. Maybe they could do more than just survive.

 

 

“Those are really good,” Markus said when they hit a lull on Monday.

Simon looked up from the tray of cookies he was icing. “Oh – thanks. It… they look so exotic, but they grow in the south. Not even as far south as you’d think.”

“Passion flower?” There were no customers waiting, so Markus moved closer to get a better look.

“They look so surreal, almost like a piece of abstract art. …I was surprised when I saw a real one for the first time a few years ago.”

“…You like abstract art?”

“I’m… not quite that cultured,” Simon muttered with a smile. “But sometimes. I… feel like I can get away with being bad at art if I call it abstract.”

Markus laughed. “What? You’re not bad at art, these are great! It’s not something I would ever think to put on a cookie. I like it.”

“…I mean, it’s just a sugar cookie, nothing special.” Simon was blushing now, he could feel it. “But yeah, you can’t just go to Panera and get one like this. We’re going for the niche market more than the mainstream.”

“Would you mind if I tried?” Markus asked. “It’s been ages since I painted.”

“You paint?” Simon leaned forward, putting the icing down to let the cookie dry.

“Oh – it’s always been a hobby of mine. I mean, in the sense that I used to do it a lot and I still like it but I haven’t done it in years. My dad’s really into it, he’s been trying to get me back into it, but I’m a little hesitant.”

“Well – you’re welcome to decorate any cookies you want. If they look bad, they’ll still taste good. But I can’t imagine they would look bad either.”

After the lunchtime rush, the two took out a tray of sugar cookies Daniel and Ralph had baked the night before and all the icing tubes and food coloring.

“We can mix more colors easily,” Simon said. “For this kind of icing it’s just powdered sugar, water, and a little butter.”

Markus wasn’t sure how to make the icing do what he wanted, but he worked it out quickly and was soon making splashes of color, contrasting streaks, and some recognizable shapes in the chaos.

“…My style is a little abstract,” Markus said with an apologetic smile. “I know it’s not for everyone.”

“They’re… wow, you put a lot of feeling on a cookie,” Simon murmured. He took a picture for his collection, and to send to Daniel later (he was a lighter sleeper than Simon, who could fall asleep anywhere). And it was a good thing, because they sold out well before closing.

“So we – Daniel and I – when we took over this place, we always talked about making really… different things,” Simon told Markus eagerly as they closed up. “Like interesting flavor combinations, and interesting decorations. We’d do a good mix of cute and weird, but nothing you could find anywhere else. And we’ve been stretched so thin lately we haven’t had time, but with you here – and Daniel’s got help overnight too, I’m not sure how much help he actually is, but Daniel likes having him around anyway – we could actually do that! Like – do something really creative that we could actually be proud of selling, and maybe business would pick up, too!”

“I mean, what we’ve got now is good, I’m pretty happy selling it,” Markus pointed out. “But I love that idea! I’ll think of some more things – you don’t mind, do you?”

“Not at all!” Simon grinned, clasping his arm briefly. “You’re part of this place too now! We can all make it what we want it to be. Daniel and I have been talking about renaming the place – it’s been Jericho Bakery since it opened, before we got here. Daniel says no puns or rhymes, and that makes it hard…”

Markus laughed. “I’ll think about that! A complete rebranding to make it… make it our own. I like that.”

“What we really need is advertising,” Markus said one morning when he and Simon were decorating some cupcakes. They were raspberry basil cakes – Ralph’s idea, apparently – and the two were topping them with pink and green shapes. They were also watching the two customers in the café, an older man with long gray hair and rumpled clothes, and a young man a bit older than them in a blazer and matching slacks. They came in now and then, usually right when the doors opened or when they were about to close. Some kind of cops, though they didn’t wear uniforms.

“We put flyers around sometimes,” Simon offered. “And the Facebook page has a few hundred followers.”

“Where do you put flyers?”

“Um – grocery stores. …Really just Aldi. And around campus, I think that’s a big draw.”

“I think you’re right… but for the quality we’re making, we could think bigger. Go around the upscale grocery stores. Stores downtown. Art galleries – oh, I think my dad’s got a show coming up. Would you be interested in catering?”

“Um. I… hadn’t really thought about it, but… yeah, I guess so! Uh – how many people?”

“I don’t know, it varies, I’ll see what information I can get. We could even send a sample over to Stratford Tower, see if they’d be interested in saying a bit about it or coming down here.”

“You think they would?”

Markus shrugged. “I think it’s worth a try! …And actually, I do think they would. You make good stuff.”

“ _We_ do,” Simon agreed, grinning.

 

 

_Simon: What would you think about catering?_

_Daniel: What kind of event?_

_Simon: Markus’s dad is an artist, he’s got a gallery opening coming up._

_Simon: Sounds like a good chance to get the word out and do something impressive._

_Daniel: Maybe_

_Daniel: Who are you trying to impress?_

_Simon: Shut up._

_Daniel: Well I was just being an ass about it but let’s be real, I know who you’re trying to impress_

_Simon: You’re still being an ass._

_Daniel: I know_

_Daniel: When are you bringing him home?_

_Daniel: Wait, he hasn’t spent the night already has he?_

_Simon: NO he hasnt_

_Simon: Because you’re like this._

_Daniel: okay_

_Simon: Sorry._

_Daniel: Whatever its fine_

_Simon: Would itbe okay if I brought him over some time?_

_Daniel: It’s your place too, do what you want_

_Simon: You know I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t respect your space. You’re important to me._

_Daniel: Yeah, bring him by, we could make breakfast for dinner or something_

_Daniel: And if he’s as much of a nerd as you make him sound like, he’s perfect for you_

_Simon: Ha. What about you, meet anybody lately?_

_Daniel: You know my social life._

_Simon: How’s Ralph?_

_Daniel: It’s not like that with Ralph_

_Simon: …Wow._

_Daniel: Shit_

_Simon: I didn’t mean it like that at all, but you’ve given me a lot to think about._

_Daniel: Leave ralph alone_

_Simon: I would never bother him. You on the other hand…_

_Daniel: Fck you I hate you_

_Simon: Goodnight. I love you!_


	2. Kneading

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon, Markus, Daniel, and Ralph cater an art gallery opening for Carl Manfred.  
> Ralph and Daniel skip out early, leaving Markus and Simon a chance to talk about families.

The gallery opening was on a Sunday night, and all four worked overtime to get ready for it. They had cookies and cupcakes, petite fours and mini tarts, and some herb crostini. Markus borrowed a van to load everything in, and they drove across town and arranged everything artfully in a corner near the bar. Ralph’s eyes darted around nervously as he worked, and his hands trembled and clenched.

“You wanna go back and clean up?” Daniel suggested casually when they were done.

“Yes! Yes, I… I can do that. Th-thank you.” His eyes darted around to the other three, then he slipped out.

“Is he okay?” Markus asked, frowning after him.

“He gets by,” Daniel said, eyeing Markus defensively.

“He actually looks a lot better than he did when we hired him,” Simon commented.

“He’s working through shit, don’t bother him.” Daniel still watched Markus.

“I won’t,” Markus assured him.

Before the guests arrived, Carl Manfred himself came over to say hello. The twins weren’t big art aficionados, but this guy was obviously not only Rich, but Important. Markus leaned down to hug him, and he patted his son on the back.

“I’m glad you’re here – make sure you all get a chance to look around, there’s a good variety of styles here tonight, not just my weird stuff.” He gave Markus a wink, and Markus rolled his eyes.

“Thank you,” Simon said with a polite smile. “We’ll be sure to do that.”

Mr. Manfred looked up at them and chuckled, patting Markus’s arm. “Which one is your young man?”

Simon blushed instantly, and Daniel stepped up with a bright smile to pat his brother’s shoulder.

“That would be my dear brother Simon.”

“I – Sir, I’m just –“

“Dad! It’s not like that, he’s my boss!”

“Well, the way you talk when you come over…”

“ _Dad!_ ”

Daniel grinned, a hint of bitterness behind his eyes. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Manfred. I wish we had the chance to talk more.”

“Well, you boys should come over for dinner some time! Nothing fancy, that’s not my style. Perhaps to celebrate our success tonight.” He looked over to where the guests were beginning to enter. “…Or to commiserate our failure. Either way, good luck to all of you!” He turned and wheeled away to the back of the gallery.

“Daniel, do you have to be like that!?” Simon hissed.

Daniel smirked darkly, then his smile brightened as he turned it on the oncoming crowd.

“I’m so sorry about my dad, he’s so embarrassing,” Markus mumbled when they hit a lull.

“I like him,” Daniel said with a forced lightness that Simon knew.

“It’s okay,” Simon murmured, to both of them. “How long do these things usually go?”

“Um – I think until about ten. Probably.”

“Sounds awful,” Daniel said cheerfully, flashing a bright smile across the room at no one in particular.

Simon sighed. “We won’t have much to load up when this is over, if you wanted to get out of here, you could.”

Daniel narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth, the scathing comment visible on his face. But then he clamped his lips tightly shut, paused, and nodded. “…Yeah, I’ve got to get the cakes started before Ralph takes all the ovens for cookies,” he mumbled.

“Okay.” Simon smiled a little. “Want your share of the tips?”

“Just put it in the store account.” Daniel sighed, sounding a lot like his brother. “I told Ralph I’d bring him his, though.” Simon divided the money up – it was more than he’d expected – and handed Daniel a fold of bills, which Daniel tucked into his pocket. He raised his chin to Markus briefly, then nodded to Simon before he left.

“…I’m not sure I’d survive long if I was stuck in a room with just him,” Markus murmured.

“He takes a while to warm up to people. I don’t think you made a bad impression.”

“Dad sure did, though.”

Simon shouldn’t have been surprised that Markus had picked up on that. “…Good parents are a bit of a touchy subject.”

“Oh.” Markus frowned, thinking for a long moment. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, he wasn’t. Uh – he was to me. I’m adopted – you can probably tell. I went to live with him when I was twelve, and he just loved how good I was at music, art, chess... But he has another son. The mom was a fan of his from years ago. He’s a few years younger than me. Super bitter about not having his dad in his life, and you can imagine how he reacted to me. He started coming around a lot while I was in school – he was on a lot of drugs, always asking for money. I think… I think if things had been different, maybe we could’ve been actual brothers, like you two. But we got in a fight when I was a senior, and that was the last straw, Dad said he couldn’t come back. He did call once after that, left a message saying he was in rehab. I… I don’t know, I hope it works out for him.”

Simon’s eyes flitted from Markus to Carl as he spoke. “I – oh. I mean, I’m… I’m sorry.”

Markus sighed. “Leo’s got plenty of problems of his own, but Dad didn’t really help things, honestly.” He looked over and smiled. “Daniel’s kind of prickly, but I’m glad you two have a good relationship.”

“I – yeah. Me too. It’s really kept us afloat.”

The two stayed until the last guests left at 10:30, then packed up what little they had left. They’d made quite a bit of money and gotten a full jar of tips, in addition to a few business cards and event flyers. Carl Manfred came over as they were leaving.

“Thanks for spending your evening here – I think I heard as many compliments on the refreshments as I did the art.”

“Thank you so much for having us, Mr. Manfred,” Simon said. “It’s been wonderful.”

Carl slipped an envelope into the bag Simon was holding and smiled. “I’ll let you know when my next event is, and I meant it about dinner some time. If there’s ever anything I can help with, you be sure to let me know.”

“Thank you,” Simon stammered as the old man turned and wheeled away.

“He really seems to like you,” Markus commented as they drove back through the darkness. “He’s not actually great at being polite to people he doesn’t care for.”

“I’m… honored. He seems nice, too.”

“You don’t have to come over for dinner if you don’t want to – I can make an excuse for you, don’t worry.” Markus parked the van in the back of the bakery.

“I – I wouldn’t mind. But of course if you don’t want me – us – to, I completely understand. No hard feelings.” Simon smiled. It wasn’t even that late, but he was so tired.

Markus turned to him in the dark van, the light from the streetlight catching in his eyes. His warm hand came to rest on Simon’s shoulder. “If you want to… I’d like that.”

Simon’s chest tightened, his throat felt thick.

Then Markus removed his hand, and Simon remembered how to breathe.

 

 

The following morning he woke to read a series of texts from Daniel.

_Daniel: Holy shit._

_Daniel: We made a haul last night_

_Daniel: Have to do that again soon_

_Daniel: HOLY FUCK SIMON_

_Daniel: Theres an envelope with a $2000 check signed by Carl Manfred._

_Daniel: $2000 on top of all that_

_Daniel: I’m going to the bank as soon as it opens_

_Daniel: And if you want to hire any more rich guys I support you_

 

 

_North: Hey josh is on spring break we should have a potluck next saturday_

_North: Tell markus to come and ill get daniel to bring ralph_

_North: More people = more food_

_Simon: That sounds great, I miss yuo guys!_

_Simon: Just tell me where and when._

_North: Your place obviously so you pick what time_

_Simon: Great. Thanks._

_Simon: How about 6? Unless Daniel has another idea._

_North: He said the same thing_

_North: And he says hes bringing desert so you can figure out something else_

“Thanks,” Simon called through the wall.

“Ralph’s bringing salad,” Daniel called back. “Not that you couldn’t make some other vegetable if you want to. He’s a vegetarian.”

“I’ll… figure something out,” Simon trailed off, and sent Markus a text.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's short, I know, but the next one will be LONG, so get ready!  
> Thoughts? Speculations?


	3. Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins host a dinner, and invite coworkers and friends up to the apartment for the night. There are misunderstandings, and agreements to figure things out... eventually.  
> Good food and good company for everyone. And The Boyfriend Talk. Twice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long one, but it's my favorite chapter by far! Get yourself a drink and get comfortable.

Markus arrived early with a crock pot of coconut lentil curry, and North answered the door before Simon could get there. She looked him up and down appreciatively.

“You must be Markus. I’m North. I’ll take that for you.”

“Um – okay… Put it on high, it’s not done yet!” he called after her.

“Hi!” Simon hurried over. “I’m glad you’re here – anything I can get you?”

“Um – no, I’m fine, just… I brought my rice cooker too, but it can wait until we’re closer to dinner time.” He looked around. Daniel was watching the rest of them next to Ralph, who huddled in the corner of the couch. He took two steps towards them before North stepped in front of him again.

“Okay, now I’ve got a minute.” She advanced, backing him up to the wall. Daniel watched in mild amusement. “You’re treating Simon right, aren’t you?”

Markus blinked, looking around for some explanation or escape. Daniel smiled brightly. Ralph looked worried, and scratched his scarred cheek. Simon was occupied in the kitchen.

“Uh – yes, of course.”

“Good. He’s a good guy, he just doesn’t speak up for himself much. Or at all.”

“I – actually, he… I mean, he does sometimes.”

“Glad to hear it. And how do you respond?”

“I… I do what he asks me to do –“

“That’s right. Keep it up.” Her eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t want to make things hard on him. Or on yourself.”

Markus looked around again. Daniel was still staring at him, but no longer smiling.

“N-no. No, of course not. What –“

North smiled warmly, backing up a step and patting his arm. “Good. …And I definitely see the appeal either way, damn. What a catch, right?” She glanced over at Daniel, who rolled his eyes.

“If you’re into that kind of thing.”

“I don’t –“

There was a knock on the door before it opened again.

“Josh!” Simon called from the kitchen, and North went to put an affectionate arm around the tallest member of the party.

“You finally made it! Not too busy for us tonight?”

“No – North, you know I wouldn’t miss this, I’ve always got time for you guys.”

“That’s a lie.” She grinned, taking his covered dish.

Josh looked around, then walked over. “You must be Markus. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“That… seems to be the trend of the evening.”

The taller man laughed. “Well, good to meet you. I’m glad you turned up, I felt bad about leaving work, but…”

“Oh, no, I heard you went to school, that’s great. What are you studying?”

“Social work. I’m interested in politics too, but –“

“No, stay out of that. That’s what I did. You can’t do anything good with it.” Markus made a face, and Josh smiled.

“I really like more direct action, and I’m feeling good about things so far.” He moved on to say hi to the two on the couch. Ralph looked like he’d been about to stand up, but quickly sank down into the cushions again. Daniel’s knee bumped his as he talked to Josh.

“So then you’re Ralph, right?”

“Y-y-yes! Ralph.” The shorter man blushed furiously. “I – I mean, I’m Ralph. Yes.”

“Daniel always claimed he preferred to work alone, you must be pretty good to work nights.”

“…Honestly, it’s a lot easier with two of us,” Daniel spoke up, his voice considerably softer, and now Markus heard the similarity to his twin. Then he smirked. “I just wanted somebody competent. Let you and Simon be idiots all day, I don’t need that. And now he’s got another moron, and I’ve got some decent help, so it’s working out. Business is picking up, too.”

“Good to see you haven’t changed completely,” Josh snorted, and headed for the kitchen.

Markus had been weighing his options, trying to decide whether he should stay out here or find Simon and have to brave North’s scrutiny and assumptions, when he heard a shuffling footstep near him. He turned to find Ralph there, rubbing his hands together nervously. He saw Daniel over Ralph’s shoulder, watching calmly from the couch, but always alert.

“Y-you… you’ll be… nice to Simon… right? He… he’s nice, he was nice. To – to me. Rrrr… I… don’t want him to… get… hurt.”

It was the longest speech he’d ever heard from Ralph, and Markus shook his head, denials and protests dying on his lips. “I won’t hurt him, Ralph,” he said softly. “He’s been nice to me too.”

A faint smile tugged at the unscarred corner of Ralph’s mouth, though he wasn’t looking at Markus’s face. “Good,” he whispered, and retreated back to his seat.

Now it felt awkward to stay with Daniel and Ralph, and it would be even more awkward to go to the kitchen, so Markus wandered over to the folding table and pushed the table settings around microscopic amounts. He sent a quick text to Simon.

_Markus: When you get a minute, we need to talk._

This wasn’t a conversation he was looking forward to, and he really didn’t want to have it before having to spend at least another couple of hours here with all these people who were so invested in something that wasn’t real, but he also didn’t want to have to be in the middle of this without knowing what exactly was happening.

“Just wait for the timer, don’t open the door until it goes off,” Simon said as he left the kitchen. “Even after that, leave it in.” He turned to Markus and smiled nervously.

“Hey, um… nothing bad,” Markus said quickly. “I just don’t know what the hell’s going on. Can we… go somewhere to talk?” He glanced pointedly over at Daniel, who smiled across the room at him.

“Uh – yeah. Let’s go in my room.” Simon led him into his room, and closed the door behind them. It was small, with a bed and a desk, and a random assortment of pictures on the walls – ice cream clouds against a blue sky. A rusty oil tanker resting at a dock at sunset. Shapes that might have been humans or birds, flying or falling. “Um… I just wanted some color on the walls.”

“They’re nice. I like the variety.”

The two nodded silently, not looking at each other.

“So, um… did you… tell your friends we were dating or something…?”

“I – no!”

“Did Daniel?”

Simon sighed. “…No, he just played along when they assumed that. I’m so sorry, I didn’t think they were being serious, I thought North was just teasing me for talking about you a lot. I didn’t expect it either, but I should’ve shut it down right away.”

“Okay… okay, but what were you telling them about me?”

Simon was bright red now. “Nothing weird! Just that you’re great at work, and you’re really artistic, and smart, and great to talk to, and have really amazing eyes, and I thought they’d like you…”

“I… I guess. Hey, what’s going on with Daniel and Ralph, anyway? Are they… are _they_ a thing now?”

“They’re friends. I don’t think it’s at all romantic, Daniel’s never been into that kind of thing. But beyond that, Ralph’s got… a lot of trauma somewhere back there, and I know it’s hard to believe, but… he’s doing so much better than he was when I hired him a few months ago. Like, he’ll answer questions without having a meltdown, he can… be in the same room with people without completely shutting down. It’s – he’s not just gonna heal overnight, but Daniel’s helping him through whatever it is, as much as he can. I don’t think a relationship would be… good for him, not right now at least, and I know Daniel knows that better than I do. I think it’s just good for both of them, being friends.”

Markus nodded. “Okay, yeah. That makes sense.” He shifted to look Simon in the eye. “So then what are we?”

Simon swallowed thickly. “…Friends, I’d hoped? I – I wouldn’t put you in that position as your boss, though, that… that wouldn’t be fair to you. Or to Daniel and Ralph.”

“…You know, Ralph actually came up to me and told me to treat you well,” Markus said softly.

“Oh God, he did!?”

“In multiple sentences. You were good to him, so… it’s important to him.”

“It must be. Shit. Has he ever even talked to you before?”

“Not even that night at my dad’s thing.”

Simon’s face twisted. “…I know Daniel at least doesn’t think we’re together.”

They stood in silence for a long moment, not looking at each other, listening to the sound of chatter outside the room.

“Listen, it’s… up to you. You know everybody here better than I do. But can we maybe not even deal with this tonight and make it awkward for everyone, instead of just us? Can we put it off just a day or so?”

“And… what, act like… like…” Simon waved his hand vaguely between them.

“And act normal. Don’t confirm or deny.” Markus reached out and brushed Simon’s arm with his fingertips before withdrawing his hand. “…Or we can tell them now if you’re not comfortable with that, I completely understand. I just – I don’t want to ruin the night. But listen, really, whatever you want, I’m okay with.”

Simon stared at him for a long time, a bit longer than was comfortable. “…Okay. If you want to. Let’s… leave it for tonight.”

“Are you… okay with that?”

“I – yeah. I should’ve done something about this sooner, but… since we’re here, let’s… give it a night. And talk next time work’s slow?”

Markus nodded, and they both smiled tensely.

When they opened the door, North was walking over. “I was just about to break things up in there – your timer’s going off and Josh won’t let me open the oven.”

“Thanks Josh!” Simon ducked around her and rushed to the kitchen. Markus followed him and set up his rice cooker, then brought his curry out to the table.

 

There was no real theme to the meal, with rosemary chicken, coconut curry, dandelion salad, stuffed cabbage rolls, sweet potato casserole, and cheesy biscuits.

“It’s not Thanksgiving, North,” Daniel commented, eyeing the marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes.

“Nope.” She heaped a bit spoonful on her plate, staring at him. He shrugged, and took some when she was done.

They all loaded their plates with everything, except Ralph who avoided the meat, and Simon and Daniel who skipped the biscuits.

“You’re not even eating what you brought?” North jibed.

“I eat bread every day of my goddamn life, I don’t have to eat it today. And you can take the leftovers if you want ‘em,” Daniel said, and Simon nodded in fervent agreement. “These two’ll learn soon enough.”

Markus chuckled, and Ralph let out a loud giggle, then immediately stiffened, covering his mouth. Daniel laughed, bumping his knee lightly into Ralph’s. Ralph took a breath and lowered his hand, though his eyes continued to dart around nervously.

“Well I’m glad nobody brought pasta,” Josh spoke up. “I feel like I’ve eaten some kind of pasta or noodles every day for like two months straight.”

“Not as bad as bread, but almost,” Simon commented, and the others laughed.

“So Markus, you came from a Poly Sci major to baking?” Josh asked, smiling. “…I know this is the worst question in the world, but what led you there?”

Markus laughed and shook his head. “Oh, I’ve heard worse. Um. Well I really like the academic side of it, the theory behind it, all the history and psychology and the different sides of it all. And… the potential to help people on a large scale. But I didn’t like the future of it. I guess I lost faith in a lot of the careers that were open to me. I didn’t want that… to change who I was. I want to help people, to make changes, and… the more I learned about government and related careers, the more depressed I got.”

Josh nodded. “I know the feeling. I feel like in a lot of fields, the lowest rungs are those who are doing the most direct good… but that’s usually just a starting point. At the top, people forget what goes on below.”

“Exactly!” Markus smiled. “…Back to your question though – I really just wanted a paycheck. And I was honest about this in my interview, and I know that’s not necessarily the best tactic, but I made it clear that I was willing to work hard and commit to it and be transparent about my intentions through it all.” He grinned over at Simon. “I just got lucky that I ran into somebody who was willing to give me a chance.”

“…Well, I really needed help,” Simon commented, grinning back. It was warm and fond, and Markus felt his own smile widening.

“So my plan worked perfectly.” He got the laugh he was going for, looking around at the others, then his eyes strayed back to Simon. “It’s become a lot more than that, though. It’s a creative outlet, it’s a way to make people happy… I get a lot out of it. And I hope I’m able to give back just as much.”

“Oh – definitely,” Simon said quickly. “That and more, you’ve been amazing.”

“Okay, we get it, you’re both adorable,” North muttered, though she was smiling.

“Sorry,” they said at the same time, looking at North, then each other.

“So what’ve you been up to, North?” Josh spoke up.

“Oh, you know. Undermining the patriarchy, making the big bucks.” She smirked. “Doing my best.”

The conversation moved on from there, and when they were finished with dinner and had some time to digest, Daniel brought out a moist, fluffy black forest cake and a lemon meringue pie with blueberry sauce drizzled over the peaks. They all had a piece of each.

“Succulent,” Ralph breathed after the pie, the first word he’d spoken since they sat down.

Daniel grinned, sharper than Simon’s but with the same glow in his eyes. “I told you it’d work out. Plenty of lemon, the sweetness of the blueberries accents the tang well without covering it up, and no need to make the meringue too tall.”

Once they’d eaten, they put the dishes in the sink to soak and sat around the living room. Daniel murmured to Ralph that he could leave if he needed to, but Ralph said he’d stay a bit longer, then promptly fell asleep in his corner. The others kept their voices down.

“Is he okay?” Josh whispered.

Daniel shrugged. “Getting there. …I mean, getting to where he can function. I’m not just keeping him around because he needs it though, he’s actually really good once he calms down.”

“No, I figured. That’s good.”

Once she learned who his father was, North started grilling Markus about his home life.

“…So are you just in this because you feel like it? Or did you do something to make Daddy withhold your inheritance?”

Markus laughed. “No! Neither. It’s his money – he’s supportive, but wanted me to make my own way in the world. If something happened he’d help me out, just… things like food and rent and all that, those are my job.”

“So when he dies, you get it all?”

“North!” Josh hissed.

“Sorry.” She looked at Markus unapologetically.

“Um – spread out, a little chunk every year or something like that, I don’t really know. It works better for tax purposes, I think he said.”

“…So apparently it’s possible to make your kids independent without completely cutting them off,” Daniel growled, clenching his fists and glaring at Markus.

“…Yeah,” Markus agreed quietly, looking back at him. “It is.”

“I guess you guys aren’t to the point of moving in together yet?” Josh asked.

“Um – no. No, not really. That’s… it’s a big step, and I don’t think… we’re quite there. Yet,” Simon mumbled, blushing.

“No reason you can’t keep your own private places,” North said with a shrug, then grinned over at Daniel, who was scowling. “Semi-private, anyway. Works better that way.”

Simon tried to picture Markus living here. It took some effort. Or him moving out to live with Markus? He hadn’t seen Markus’s apartment. He wasn’t even sure of Markus’s taste in decorating and arranging an apartment, but probably something understated, classy, comfortable… It was probably beautiful, in a simple way.

But it wasn’t something he should be thinking about. They were letting this happen tonight, but it wasn’t real. That wasn’t a future that had any possibility of happening. He couldn’t help glancing at Markus though, who was eyeing him curiously. They both looked away at the same time.

Before he left, Josh pulled Markus aside.

“It was good to meet you. I think you’re really good for Simon, he looks better than he has in ages.”

“Oh, um… thank you. He’s – I’ve come to find that your coworkers really make all the difference, and I really like spending time with him, too.” That was neutral enough.

“I hope we’ll see you again next time we do this!”

“I hope so too!”

North also had a low conversation with him while Simon and Daniel were talking.

“So how serious are you about this?”

“I – we’re not pushing things too far or putting labels on it or anything,” Markus mumbled.

“No, I can see that.” She eyed him sharply. “…Just like I said, be careful. Figure out what you want. And don’t let him be an idiot about it, anyone can see what he wants out of this.”

Markus frowned. “…You think so?”

“I’ve known him for years; I don’t think, I know.” She grinned sharply. “And listen, if you decide he’s not your thing and can let him down without breaking his heart, let me know if you’d be interested in swinging my way, because…” she looked him up and down and gave a nod. “…Yeah, I’d be into it.”

“Um. Sure…”

She laughed. “No pressure, Markus. He’s got first dibs for sure. Just sayin’.”

She left, and Markus shuffled over to Simon.

“Hey. I – I’m gonna go, but… I’ll see you tomorrow. We’ll… we’ll talk.”

“Yeah.” Simon’s eyes were inscrutable, watching Markus. “Thanks for coming tonight, it was nice to just hang out for a change. Even if… it was weird.”

“It was.” Markus smiled a little. “Thanks for including me. I’d… like to do it again some time.”

Simon smiled a little, and they both paused for a second before Markus left awkwardly.

“So are you actually doing this?” Daniel asked softly, draping a blanket over Ralph.

“No, I – he didn’t want to make the night awkward for everybody, we talked about it, we’re… gonna work things out tomorrow when it’s slow.”

“It’s not gonna be slow on a Sunday morning. But are you really up for something like that?”

“I’m – Daniel, I’m his… his boss, I can’t…”

“So what, you think you’re forcing him into a relationship or something?”

“Of course not, I wouldn’t do that!”

“No, he knows that, I know that, everybody does. You’re not that kind of guy.”

“It wouldn’t be fair, though.”

“To who?”

“To – well, to Markus, first of all –“

“We already established that’s bullshit.”

“To you and Ralph –“

Daniel snorted. “Like I’d let you give your boyfriend special treatment at work. You feel like making eyes at him all day and slipping into the back for a kiss once in a while, if you can keep working, why should I care? Why should he?” He nodded at Ralph, curled up on the couch.

“It’s… it’s not…”

“Sounds to me like you’re not being fair to yourself. …And yeah, maybe not to Markus either, because he sounds like he’s not just sticking with the job for you, he actually wants to be professional and do it well. He’s not just here for your ass. If he starts being uppity about fucking the boss, that’s different, but –“

“He wouldn’t do that!”

Daniel slapped his brother’s head. “That’s my fucking point, stupid.” He glared at Simon. “Look, it’s up to you and him. You talk about it tomorrow, whenever you can get a minute. But you both know how to be professional at work, and I’m gonna make sure that happens too.” He paused, and his face softened. “If he makes you happy, go for it.”

Simon fidgeted. “I don’t want to… make the wrong choice here.”

“So don’t.” Daniel shrugged. “Look, I’m just saying give it a chance, I’m not saying get married right off the bat. This isn’t an instant lifetime commitment.”

“I… I guess you’re right.”

“Of course I am, you’re just making this way more complicated than it has to be.” Daniel smirked and shoved Simon lightly. “Go to bed, I’m going to work.”


	4. Baking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Simon and Markus go out after a busy day to finally sort things out, and the future looks warm and sweet.

When Simon woke up and got ready for work, Ralph was still asleep on the couch. He pondered waking him, but ended up just leaving a note welcoming him to get something to eat whenever he woke up, and make sure to lock the door on his way out. He saw Daniel on his way out.

“Markus just got there, he’s setting up.” Daniel gave him a tired glare. “Don’t fuck this up.”

“I won’t,” Simon assured him, then hesitated. “…I’ll try not to.”

“Well don’t come crying to me when you do,” Daniel mumbled, pushing past him. “…Ralph still here?”

“Yeah, I didn’t want to wake him up.”

“You know he’s been sleeping in the storeroom?”

“Yeah, I’m not blind. He’s a heavy sleeper. He have anywhere else to go?”

“No, I told him to sleep there.”

“We should at least get him a cot or something.”

Daniel smiled. “I’ve been looking around for one. Hey. Have a good day.”

“You too.” Simon smiled back, and walked out the door.

 

 

There was already a line forming when Simon arrived, and he slipped in with an apologetic smile.

“Hey!” Markus called. “We’re just about set up, looks like it’s gonna be a busy day.

As soon as they opened the door, customers rushed in. Some knew what they wanted, some took time to browse or ask questions. Some took their order and left, some sat down to eat and talk. A woman asked about catering her wedding next year, and Simon put together a price estimate and took some notes, agreeing to set up a tasting day in a few weeks. A man heard them talking, and came up afterwards to ask about his son’s lizard-themed birthday in a few weeks. They didn’t have a second of downtime until they closed at three, and finally when the doors were locked, the drawer counted, and everything clean, they both leaned on the counter and sighed.

“Um – I know it’s been crazy, but do you want to go out somewhere and talk?” Markus asked, rubbing his fingers distractedly.

They ended up in the corner of a little Chinese restaurant, splitting an order of sesame chicken with vegetables. As they ate, their eyes darted up to each other and back down to their food.

Finally Markus exhaled, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I don’t want to make any decisions for you, or… make you uncomfortable.”

“I don’t either,” Simon said quickly. “I, um… I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I’ve been really worried about… being in a relationship with someone when I’m also their boss, and I don’t want to put you or anyone else in a bad position.”

“No, I don’t think…” Markus paused, looking intently into Simon’s eyes. “Would you… want to? I mean, the relationship part, not the other part, obviously.”

Simon let out a breathy laugh, looking down. “I’m just… afraid of things going bad.”

“But would you want to?”

He just swallowed and nodded once, staring at his plate.

Markus reached out and put his hand on the table between them. “Okay,” he said softly. “So then assuming I would too… which… I do… what are you worried about? We can work things out.”

Simon’s eyes rose to his, and he just stared silently for a long moment. Then he let out a high, nervous laugh. “I – first of all it – I’m your boss, there’s that imbalance of power, it would look bad to…”

“To who?”

“Well… I talked to Daniel about it, he doesn’t mind. He was really supportive, actually.”

“…I was thinking you wouldn’t say anything that would surprise me, but I actually didn’t see that coming.”

“He’s… defensive, but he’s not really as much of a jerk as he acts like.”

“…And Ralph talked to me about it, so he’s okay with it too.”

“I guess so.” Simon was quiet for another moment, then laughed and shook his head. “I mean, I think we can both be professional on the job.”

“I would hope so,” Markus agreed, a grin spreading across his face. “…My dad likes you, if that helps at all.”

“It doesn’t hurt! …I mean, we’ll… just have to… you know, communicate, which is true of any relationship, so…” His smile was growing by the minute, and his hand darted out to rest tentatively over Markus’s. Markus rotated his wrist just enough to slip his thumb above Simon’s and rub the paler hand gently. Simon blushed, and ran his thumb over the base of Markus’s palm.

“…The table’s kind of sticky,” he finally whispered, blushing hard.

Markus chuckled. “…Yeah, I noticed but I didn’t want to move.”

Simon laughed too, reddening even further. “Do you, um… do you want to… do something next weekend? Like – I don’t even know, I haven’t gone on a date since high school… and we see each other every day, so if you’d rather not…”

Markus squeezed his hand. “I’d like that. …And so far, being around you five days a week has just made me want to see you more, so… I think we’re okay.”

Simon distantly wondered if it was possible to die from every drop of blood in his body rushing to his face. He nodded quickly. “I – yeah. Sorry, I… it’s been… a long time, like I said.”

“That’s okay. I never really… made time for dating before. Didn’t have anybody I thought was worth it, I guess.” Markus smiled.

They walked slowly back to Simon’s apartment together, holding hands at first, then arms loosely looped around each other’s waists. They stood talking as the sun set, then during a pause, Simon leaned in and kissed Markus, just lightly on the side of his mouth.

“Uh – I guess I should be going…”

“Wait.” Markus slid a hand up into his hair and pulled him back for a longer kiss. They were both a little breathless when they pulled away.

“Goodnight,” Markus whispered, a little smile tugging at his lips. “See you tomorrow.”

“See you,” Simon echoed. “I – I had… a great time. With you.”

“Me too.” Markus lingered, watching Simon go inside, then walked home feeling light.

 

 

“So?” Daniel asked when he woke up. “Happy?”

“Yes,” Simon sighed blissfully, flopping down on the couch.

“Good.” His brother yawned. “It’d be great if you’d quit mooning over him and get on with whatever the fuck you wanna do with him – and you don’t have to tell me that part. I really don’t want to know.”

“…He’s a good kisser,” Simon commented with a grin.

“Thanks for oversharing.” Daniel threw a pillow at him, and he laughed. “Just be careful.”

Simon sat up. “Daniel, you don’t have to tell me –“

“No, I know, and I’m not going to. I’ll leave it at that. I’ll still murder him if he doesn’t treat you right.”

“I think he’s well aware of that.”

“Good.” Daniel spread some peanut butter on a roll and took a bite. “…And we don’t need things to get awkward and weird, so if that’s gonna happen, try to get it over with as soon as possible.”

“I’m… not worried.” Simon smiled. “And I know you like him too. I don’t think you need to worry about it either.”

“We’ll see,” Daniel muttered.

Simon threw the pillow back at him. “Would you just go to work so I can daydream in peace?”

Daniel rolled his eyes. “…Only because somebody has to hold this business together.”

“I knew I could count on you.”

Daniel grumbled halfheartedly under his breath as he left, and Simon hauled himself up to brush his teeth and get changed, then flop down on his bed. He could still almost feel Markus’s lips on his, gentle and inviting. He could hear the shy laugh belying the confidence he exuded in every other situation. See the intense blue and green eyes. He fell asleep thinking of that soft smile that was just for him.

Not far away, Markus was lying in his own bed, thinking of the soft lips on his, the shy laugh belying the strength that lay beneath, the deepening blush and warm blue eyes. The smile just for him.

The promise of a future together, sweet and warm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking with this, I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I did! ...Stay tuned for part 2, focused on Daniel and Ralph in the same timeline, it'll be great!

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr at [Anomalous Appliances](http://anomalous-appliances.tumblr.com/), where I reblog things and answer lots of writing prompts!
> 
> All questions and comments are welcome! All typos in texts are intentional!


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